October 7 – November 17

Fancy lunar dancing in Mr. Brouček (Photo courtesy of Janáček Brno) 

Even by the high standards that Janáček Brno has set over the past two decades, this year’s edition is special. All nine of the composer’s operas will be performed as part of the largest program in the festival’s history, including two versions of Šarka, his first foray into opera, and The Beginning of a Romance, his second. For festival Director Martin Glaser, the fact that all of the operas were produced in-house, by the National Theater Brno, is particularly significant.

“This year is exceptional for featuring the complete cycle of Janáček’s operas in productions by our own company,” he says. “It represents a retrospective of our era at the National Theater Brno. The oldest production dates back to 2014, while the newest ones will premiere during the festival. I am proud that we have managed not only to stage revivals of this entire collection, but also to bring in exceptional new guest artists.”

The list of visiting artists is long and diverse, ranging from Czechs who have developed successful careers abroad, like singer Adam Plachetka and conductor Jakub Hrůša, to international stars like American soprano Corinne Winters and British pianist Julius Drake. The program is equally diverse. Beyond the operas, there are appearances by leading conductors and orchestras (Hrůša with the Bamberg Symphony, Vasily Petrenko with the Czech Philharmonic, Tomáš Netopil with the Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra), vocal and musical recitals, samplings of ballet, jazz and folk music along with nods to other Czech composers – Bohuslav Martinů’s lyrical Theater Behind the Gate, Josef Suk’s charming Fairy Tale. And the festival concludes in truly memorable fashion, pairing Janáček’s horrific From the House of the Dead with his monumental Glagolitic Mass.

The chamber music schedule could comprise a festival in itself. It includes large ensembles such as Baroque specialists Collegium 1704 and the choir Ensemble Versus, as well as some of the finest string quartets in the country – the Pavel Haas Quartet, Bennewitz Quartet, Zemlinsky Quartet. Piano aficionados will find plenty to enjoy in appearances by Ivo Kahánek, Jan Jiraský, Martin Kasík, Jan Bartoš and Marek Kozák. Many of the chamber concerts will take listeners to historical sites and unorthodox venues like the unique underground reservoirs at Žlutý Kopec (Yellow Hill).

For the adventurous, there are some groundbreaking efforts by the younger set. Hausopera, an artists’ collective that performs operas in offbeat spaces, is staging The Beginning of a Romance in the palatial atrium of the rectorate at the Brno University of Technology. In tune with today’s headlines, the production poses a timely question: Can a poor girl fall in love with an attractive robot? And students from the Janáček Academy of Performing Arts and Brno Conservatory will be offering two brand-new one-act operas, Oh Humanity! and Here is the Island.

Other highlights and items of note, in chronological order:

The Excursions of Mr. Brouček (October 7 & 13) Done as a co-production with Teatro Real (Madrid) and the Staatsoper Unter den Linden (Berlin), this version of Janáček’s satirical opera, directed by Robert Carsen, won Best New Production at the 2025 International Opera Awards. Carsen spices the comedy with references to 20th-century events of significance to the emerging Czech nation.

Osud (October 13) Variously translated as “Destiny” or “Fate,” this gripping production captivated viewers when it opened the festival in 2020. Direction is by Robert Carsen, and for this final reprise, Brno native Tomáš Hanus will be on the podium.

Kryštof Mařatka (October 16) Mařatka is a Czech composer who lives in Paris and consistently turns out fresh, invigorating work that he occasionally brings back to the Czech lands. For this appearance he will be at the piano, playing three of his own pieces and two by Janáček (including a new version of Nursery Rhymes), accompanied by clarinet, viola and two vocalists.

Czech Philharmonic (October 17) Noteworthy for the superb Vasily Petrenko on the podium and the Central Band of the Czech Army joining the orchestra for what will surely be the most rousing version ever of Janáček’s Sinfonietta. Bookends by Bartók and Stravinsky give the piece historical context.

Corinne Winters (October 18) Along with appearing in three of the operas, the American soprano is giving a recital of songs by Janáček, Dvořák, Vítězslava Kaprálová and Erich Korngold. Piano accompaniment is by David Mareček, who somehow finds the time to practice and play when he isn’t keeping busy as CEO of the Czech Philharmonic.

Šarka (October 28, November 11) The October performance is a concert version of the opera, with the singers accompanied only by pianist Julius Drake. Director Jiří Heřman is staging it as a site-specific production at Besední dům, where Janáček worked as a conductor, pianist and choirmaster. The November performance is also a concert version, though with a full orchestra and chorus. The setting is the Mahen Theater, where Šarka premiered on the same date in 1925.

Káťa Kabanová (October 30 & 31, November 13) The October performances, directed by Robert Carsen, feature star soprano Kateřina Kněžíková, nominated for a 2026 Thalia Award for her work in the title role. The November production is the only one in the festival not created by the National Theater Brno. It comes from the Bayerische Staatsoper in Munich, directed by Krzysztof Warlikowski with Corinne Winters as the long-suffering Káťa.

Four-handed piano (October 31) Keyboard wizards Ivo Kahánek and Martin Kasík team up for four-handed piano versions of two seminal Janáček compositions, Taras Bulba and the Sinfonietta. Also on the bill: A solo performance of Janáček’s Mládí (Youth), and Pan, a melodrama for narrator and piano composed by František Neumann, one of Janáček’s close colleagues.

There’s more, but bottom line: Nowhere else in the world does this combination of native talent, historical settings and deep devotion to the life and legacy of Leoš Janáček come together at such a high level. Given that, it’s no surprise some concerts have already sold out. If you’re interested, check out the festival website soonest. By any measure, this is a banner year.